Puzzle



Jan. 15, 1935. H. J. VANDER HEIDE I.-PUZZLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 25, 1933 igl INVENTOR. HezmanJT/n'zcZerHEiCZc By 6144A.

ATTORNEYJL Jan. 15, 1935. H, J, VANDER HEIDE PUZZLE Original Filed March 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Shet 2 :Dow

INVENIITOR. and V jzzcze izda' Harm ATTORNEYJ;

Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUZZLE Herman J. Vander Heide, Walker Township, Kent County, Mich.

Serial No. 729,671

Claims.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 662,668, filed March 25, 1933, in the United States Patent Office.

The invention relates to puzzles, and more particularly to sliding piece puzzles.

An important object of the invention is to provide a puzzle of the type indicated comprising a group of pieces each being provided on one face with a portion of a pictorial or other continuous design, adapted to be arranged in an initial relationship not exhibiting the design and to be rearranged by successively sliding the pieces to achieve a final relationship exhibiting the design.

Sliding piece puzzles of certain types are old and well known, but all the prior art sliding piece puzzles with which I am acquainted are subject to certain defects and deficiencies which my invention overcomes. The general nature of my improvements may be briefly explained as follows:

In all cases it is desirable to provide with the collection of pieces a board, generally the inside bottom of a container for the pieces, on which the pieces are arranged in initial position and on which they are successively moved to final position. To provide room for moving the pieces a portion of the area of the board must be left blank or originally unoccupied by any piece. In all sliding piece puzzles prior to my present invention the necessary unoccupied space is provided by removing one of the pieces, or by starting the play with less than enough pieces to make a completely rectangular figure. In some cases a central space is left unoccupied, in other cases a corner of the board is uncovered when the pieces are in initial and final positions. In both types of priorart puzzlesthe integrality or completely filled rectangular shape of the puzzle design when the pieces are in final position is destroyed, and for this reason these prior puzzles are not adapted to exhibit pictorial or other kinds of continuous designs. An object of my present invention is to provide a puzzle of the sliding block type which comprises a completely rectangular, fully filled, intact figure, made up of distinct pieces which cooperate to exhibit a continuous design. I attain this object by providing a playing board which has one dimension greater than the corresponding dimension of the assembled pieces, so that an originally and finally unoccupied band or space is provided for accommodating the pieces as they are moved. The length of the band or space is equal to one dimension of the group of pieces when arranged in initial or final relation, so that when so related the pieces comprise a complete, intact, rectangular figure, and the design exhibited by the associated pieces is not marred by a notched outer corner or a hole in the center.

While it is not broadly new to have the playing board inscribed with markings to fix the initial placement of the pieces, no prior puzzle, so far as I am aware, includes markings on the pieces and on the board which not only fix the original location of the pieces on the board but also determine their orientation with respect to each other. I provide such markings in my puzzle, so that the pieces may easily be placed on the board correctly located with respect to each other and correctly faced, i. e., no piece will be "upside down or turned sidewise. This feature is of peculiar importance and advantage in my puzzle because the pieces are not to be rotated or otherwise turned, but slid rectilinearly only, from initial to intermediate positions and final position. v

Obviously this feature adapts the puzzle the showing of a pictorial or other continuous design, since it is essential to the successful showing of such designs that the individual pieces all be properly oriented when in final position.

These and various other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure and parts particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a face or top plan view of a puzzle showing the parts in predetermined final (or solution) position;

Fig. 2 is a face or top plan view of the same showing the parts in an initial (or problem) position; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view (reduced) of the playing board of the puzzle, conveniently comprising the inside bottom of the receptacle in which the pieces are contained.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by these drawings, the rectangular playing board 21 has surrounding or peripheral upwardly-extending walls, 22 marked up, 23 marked down, 24 marked right and 25 marked left, these marks being shown on the drawings to indicate the directions in which the pieces are to be moved on the board, as hereinafter explained.

Flat pieces of equal thickness but having top faces of different area and dimensions are arranged on the board within its peripheral walls, in an initial or problem position such as is illustrated in Fig. 2, and the puzzle or problem is to move the pieces in guided directions to the predetermined"solution position shown in Fig. 1, without lifting any piece from the board.

In such solution position, a pictorial or other continuous design or figure, such for instance as the front of a bank building, is displayed. as seen in Fig. 1, and in solving the puzzle, one attempts to shift the pieces from their Fig. 2 relationship, wherein the continuous design is notwexhibited, to their final-relationship, shown in Fig. l, in which the design is exhibited.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention :1 twenty of these pieces are shown having rectan-.

gular top faces of several different areas arid'dimensions. These pieces are identifiedxand distinguished by numerals 1 to 20 inclusive; carried by the under surfaces of the pieces, although for clarity of illustration shown "in the drawings'as though appearing on 'the upper faces of' the pieces, to assist in arranging them in their initial positions on the board, and the board-as shown in Fig.v 3 isdivided intospaces numbered correspondingly with the pieces as the. same areshown arranged in Fig.'"2. .Other marks, as thecarets shown in Fig. 2, are also carried by the-.under surfaces of the pieces torindicate their proper orientationor position relative tothe-wall 22.

,1 pieces 1 and 3 are Suggested dimensions for the piecesmay be "given as follows: Piecesz, 5 and l2-are. seveneighthsof .an'inch .wi'de. by-three inches long; seven-eighths of an inch wide byone and one-half inch long; pieces 14 and .18

"aretone inch wide by one and three-fourthsinch longiipieces Band 19 are one and .three fourths tinchiwidetby twouinches long; pieces4, 6, "7, 9 and" lliare "one and one-half inch widetbyone and three-fourths inch long; pieces 8 and 10 are three-fourths of an inch wide by one and three-' ,fourths 'inch long; pieces .15 and 17 .are three- "fourths .Of an "inch wide "by. three and one-half 'incheslong; piece 16 'is oneandone-half. inch wide'by two and one' fourth inches long; .and ,piece 20 is one and one-fourth inch-wide by one I and one-half inch long.

The pieces are shown in Fig. 2 arrangedin approximately contacting .edge to edge relation "respectively ofthe board. and with its fourth edge '50 'spacedfromthe other walli22 ofthe board to pro- ,vide an elongated unoccupied space or band 26 -wi'de enough'about'one inch in the illustrated ---embodiment-to permitcertain of the, pieces to be slid. along said space between .wall .22 and the 55 j pieces adjacent .thereto.

"-To solve the puzzle the pieces are slid'rectilinearly on the board from their. initial problempo- 'sition shown in'Fig;2, and from various intermediatepositions towhich they may. be moved, until the pieces are all in Fig. 1. A suggested comp'rises moving the pieces in the directions and inthe order setforth in the following table, in

the finarposition' shown in space into which .it.is that 1:11} the twenty second, ninety first, ninety a. slight. separation .of

mode of solving the puzzle during the course of 4D, 11R, 11U,

, 17L, 9L, 4L, 11D, 10R,

:Inithese moves, each piece is slid as far as the being slid permits, except third -.-.-and :"two hundred and twelfth moves (identified as 3U, 8R, 10L and ER respectively) the piece is slid only a distance equal to its di- .-.mension in the .direction in which it is being slid.

:It will-be seen fromctheabovettable'aridrfrom the drawings that the: said; pieces are slid-midi- .rections parallelwiththe walls 22,223, or 24, 25,

and that in theinsliding; movements. ;they..-are guided or laterally. confined-byuthe edgesiof the adjacent pieces on either-side or by the edgessof such pieces and-.the adjacent wall on the other side. It will also be seen that the elongated-space or band 26 vbetween the; pieces and the=walli22 .forms a passage. for some 'of'tthe movements of the pieces.

r In the drawings the, .piecesareshown inabsolute .edgewise oontact IWith each otherand" with the -Walls .23,.-.24=and425; but in actual practice;

such-contacts are of .course approximate only, .the; parts being desirable to facilitate ready and non-frictional movements. However, the. pieces. arenot toibe. turned on the .board; so that in the initial and finalrpositions :of the. pieces as-shownin :intermediate :positions: to hand. from which? they Figs. 2: and 1 :anddnall maybe moved, they are always the, position ,in..which their edges having .the :caret. marks are closest .to and. parallel :with the wall .22 of utheboard.

Thedrawings illustrate one embodimentof my .invention, and, it .isKevident :that other: "embodiments of..this same-invention .in :which other :pieceshavingmoves similarly, guided or confined .maybedevised. Such other embodiments, .to the extent that they incorporate the principles-of the invention as pointedoutbysthe appended claims,

are to be :deemed within the scopei-and purview thereof,

.I claim:

. 1. A puzzle'comprisingza;plurality. of'rectangu- .larpieces: each provided one, surface thereofwith .a portion. of .a-.pictorial design:and-.alliadapted when associated sin ;-a; particular .final relation to displayaa: continuous and .completelyrectangular pictorial. design,-.-.in combinationwith: a rectangular playing board having: one dimension sufficientlylonger than the corresponding :dimension ofthe plurality;ofspiecesewhen associated to .show

. the design toprovide: an initially and finally uniii) their rearrangement from initial to. final. relation.

- 2. A puzzlecomprisinga plurality of rectangular pieceseach. provided on its top surface witha portion ofia design and. all. adapted-whenrassocirectangular spaces each bearing a distinctive marking, and corresponding markings provided on the bottom surface of each of the pieces to serve as a guide in initially placing each piece on the proper space of the board and properly oriented with respect to the other pieces to adapt the pieces, when successively moved with relation to each other, to assume a final position exhibiting the continuous design, the area of the playing board within the confines of the marginal wall being sufficiently greater than the area of the pieces when assembled in initial position to permit the pieces to be moved to new relative positions by rectilinear sliding movements only.

3. A puzzle comprising a plurality of rectangular pieces each provided on its top surface with a portion of a design and all adapted when associated in a particular relation to display a continuous rectangular design, a playing board having one dimension longer than the corresponding dimension of the plurality of pieces when associated to show the design and having rectangular spaces each bearing a distinctive marking, corresponding markings providedon the bottom surface of each of the pieces to serve as a guide in initially placing each piece on the proper space of the board and properly oriented with respect to the other pieces to adapt the pieces, when successively moved with relation to each other, to assume a final position exhibiting the continuous design, the area of the board in excess of that of the pieces in their initial and final positions being devoid of markings and being wide enough to accommodate pieces being moved from initial to final position.

4. A puzzle comprising a plurality of rectangular pieces each provided on a surface thereof with a portion of a pictorial design and all adapted when associated in a particular relation to display a continuous and completely rectangular pictorial design, in combination with a rectangular playing board having one dimension longer than the corresponding dimension of the plurality of pieces when associated to show the design, each and every piece comprising an element of a complete and intact rectangular body of pieces adapted to be moved, exclusively by sliding pieces into and out of the area of the board which is in excess of that of the body of pieces and into and out of spaces on the board vacated by moved pieces, to rearrange the pieces from an initial relationship not exhibiting the design to a final relationship exhibiting the design.

5. A puzzle comprising a plurality of rectangular pieces each provided on a surface thereof with a portion of a pictorial design and all adapted when associated in a particular relation to display a continuous and completely rectangular pictorial design, in combination with a rectangular playing board having one dimension longer than the corresponding dimension of the plurality of pieces when associated to show the design, each and every piece comprising an element of a complete and intact rectangular body of pieces adapted to be moved, exclusively by sliding pieces into and out of the area of the board which is in excess of that of the body of pieces and into and out of spaces on the board vacated by moved pieces, to rearrange the pieces from an initial relationship not exhibiting the design to a single possible final relationship exhibiting the design and employing all the pieces.

HERMAN J. VANDER HEIDE. 

